In crowded backfield, Barner working to find a niche

Published: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 12:01 AM.

“The coaches have to build their trust in me and by that I get those extra reps and can show them I can do what they want me to do,” Barner said.

What the versatile speedster can do has caught the eye of veteran teammates.

“With Jonathan out we’ve been able to get a lot of looks at the younger guys,” center Ryan Kalil said. “Barner has been doing an incredible job and he’s somebody that is exciting to watch and he’s growing a bunch, so that’s fun.”

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Kenjon Barner’s draft day phone call came much later than anybody predicted and despite his NFL dreams being realized at that moment, he also had another feeling in mind.

“It’s kind of like being that kid on the playground who is the last guy picked,” Barner said. “Not that I was the last guy, but in my mind that’s how I felt. So there is definitely a little chip on my shoulder and more motivation. I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t bother me.”

The former Oregon star running back lasted all the way into the sixth round back in April and was only the 182nd player chosen overall. Oddly enough, he was taken by a Carolina team that had recently spent big bucks resigning productive running backs DeAngelo Williams and

Jonathan Stewart while also adding proven fullback Mike Tolbert to the mix.

So Barner brought his eye-popping speed (he ran a 4.38 40 during his collegiate Pro Day) and stats (1,767 yards on an average of 6.4 per rush with 21 touchdowns as a senior) to a franchise that appeared to have little room in a crowded backfield.

But with the Wofford portion of training camp reaching its final day and with one preseason game in the books, the 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has had abundant opportunities to display his flashy talent.

Stewart and Tolbert have missed camp with injuries and the team certainly isn’t going to wear down a veteran like Williams, which has helped leave Barner a big load to shoulder.

He had game-highs with nine carries for 37 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run up the gut in the second quarter, in Friday’s win over Chicago and was one of only three Panthers to catch multiple passes. He contributed in the return game as well. He lost a fumble after getting into space on his original carry, but impressed coaches and teammates by how he bounced back.

“The coaches have to build their trust in me and by that I get those extra reps and can show them I can do what they want me to do,” Barner said.

What the versatile speedster can do has caught the eye of veteran teammates.

“With Jonathan out we’ve been able to get a lot of looks at the younger guys,” center Ryan Kalil said. “Barner has been doing an incredible job and he’s somebody that is exciting to watch and he’s growing a bunch, so that’s fun.”

After the win over the Bears, quarterback Cam Newton said, “Kenjon’s an exciting guy to watch and we all saw that. Whether it’s kick returns or punt returns, just getting him the ball in space and seeing what he can do. He has so much elusiveness and can attack a defense in space. And that’s what we want him to do as the offense progresses.”

Barner acknowledged he was extremely happy with his first NFL game, although he quipped that the football is worth a million dollars and he needs to become more mindful in taking care of it. He’ll likely be a centerpiece of the offense once again Thursday against Philadelphia, but Stewart and Tolbert are expected to be back by the regular season. That doesn’t faze Barner, who understands competition is a way of life in football, and he believes he can be the same type of game-changer as he was in college.

“Being in a crowded backfield means nothing to me because at the end of the day you’ve still got to go out and work hard and you earn everything you get,” Barner said. “It’s nothing that I’m not accustomed to. You have to have that kind of confidence in yourself because if you don’t have that, how can you expect anybody else to have it in you?”